When looking through this year’s Old Rochester Regional High School yearbook, pay close attention to the ‘Favorite Memories’ section of each senior’s special write-up. An event commonly mentioned by the Class of 2015 as the most memorable is the Junior Semi-Formal, which this year occurred on Friday, May 15.
One of the most important events of the school year, the Junior Semi was met with a warm reception by the Class of 2016. Junior Class Advisors Hilary Owen and Andrea Moniz spoke about the challenges and rewards that come with planning one of the school year’s marquee events.
Junior Semi is the unofficial kick-off of senior year for the junior class. Think of it as a sleepover for the entire junior class – with ample amounts of food and soda – taking place mainly in the ORR gym. Combine that with an elegant dinner and a school dance that rivals the intensity of Homecoming (although with more space to actually dance) and you have an event like no other.
The event kicked off at 6:30 pm, and after the long line handed in their tickets and waited patiently in the courtyard, dinner was served in the cafeteria. Students could choose from a wide array of foods, though the majority opted for the chicken fingers and French fries, accompanied by a salad or pasta dish.
Afterwards, the music began and the dance floor slowly filled in. Many students split time between the dance floor and the photo area that featured clothing items of the ‘Masquerade’ theme. There was also a candy bar that received plenty of visitors throughout the evening.
The DJ earned great reviews for a playlist that leaned heavily on 2000s pop/hip-hop hits, as well as some more current tunes. The dance concluded at 10:30 pm, and Phase 2 of Junior Semi quickly began.
By 11:30 pm, most students had changed into more comfortable clothes and were hanging out in the gymnasium. In addition to a plentiful food supply, basketball games, volleyball games, and a bouncy-house kept students entertained.
After midnight, the hypnotist began to perform in the auditorium. Over 20 students volunteered to have their minds altered, although only four made it to the 1:30 am performance end. Junior Haily Saccone stole the show with her dancing, and sophomore Dillon McCarthy, hypnotized to think he was James Bond, suspended the audience in disbelief. Earning a standing applause, the hypnotist was regarded as one of the high points of the evening.
At this point in the evening, most attendees of the event were fighting off sleep. Two films were now played back-to-back in the auditorium: 21 Jump Street and Identity Thief. Even though these were popular films, more students were leaning back in their chairs sleeping than enjoying the two comedies.
Concurrently, basketball and volleyball games continued to be played in the auditorium, while the bouncy-house was now filled mostly with sleeping bags. At 5:00 am, the students headed out of the gym and into their cars, in pursuit of sleep after a memorable evening that can truly be called a one-of-a-kind experience.
Owen and Moniz spend their days working in the Learning Support Center (LSC) at ORR. However, the pair also serve as advisors to the Class of 2016, this year’s juniors. They worked closely with the student council to plan this year’s Junior Semi-Formal event.
“This is my third year as the class advisor, and when I became an advisor, I recruited [Moniz] to work with me,” Owen said.
The duo picked the date for Junior Semi in September and began to meet with the class officers in January. “After we picked the date, some part of the planning was done every month from there,” Moniz said.
Both spoke about the challenges of planning such a unique event. Moniz emphasized that “making sure it’s what the kids want” was one of the biggest challenges. Owen acknowledged, “So many details couldn’t be figured out until the day of the event.”
After all the hard work, both were pleased with the final product.
“The DJ got everyone on the dance floor and kept them there,” Owen said, speaking to one of the event’s high points. “Even the kids who weren’t dancing were enjoying themselves,” Moniz added.
Judging by the terrific reception of the event, the long months of planning for Junior Semi paid off.
Every year, the Junior Semi-Formal manages to represent both the end of an era and a new beginning for the junior class. As the dance usually coincides with the end of the year for seniors, the juniors become the leaders of the school and celebrate with an epic party. The event also serves as a prelude to the end-of-school events, and serves as a nice way to finish off students’ penultimate year of high school. None of it could be accomplished without the hard work of the junior class advisors, and once again Junior Semi provided a memorable experience for its participants.
By Patrick Briand